Why do I see yellow spots in my vision? Learn about the various conditions that can lead to yellow spots, including head injuries, retinal issues, migraines, and medication side effects. Discover when to see an optometrist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Understanding Yellow Spots in Vision

Our vision is a crucial sense that allows us to navigate the world and connect with our surroundings. Any changes in our visual experience, such as the appearance of yellow spots, should not be taken lightly. These spots can result from a variety of conditions, ranging from head injuries and retinal problems to migraines and medication side effects. Maintaining regular eye exams and promptly addressing any unusual symptoms is essential for preserving our visual health.

Yellow Spots After Head Injuries

Head injuries, whether sustained through sports, accidents, or other means, can cause damage to the brain or optic nerve, leading to a range of vision problems, including the appearance of yellow spots. Head injuries can also cause bleeding in the eye, which can contribute to the presence of these spots. If you have recently experienced a head injury and are noticing changes in your vision, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately.

Retinal Conditions and Yellow Spots

The retina, the part of the eye responsible for detecting light and transmitting visual signals to the brain, can be affected by various conditions that can result in yellow spots. Retinal detachment, where the retina separates from the back of the eye, can cause the cells to fire randomly, leading to flashing lights or colored spots. Diabetic retinopathy, a condition caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina, can also result in yellow spots, as well as other visual disturbances. Additionally, eye infections or damage from excessive sun exposure can contribute to the appearance of yellow spots.

Migraines with Auras and Yellow Spots

Migraines, a neurological condition that can cause severe headaches, nausea, and visual disturbances, can also lead to the appearance of yellow spots. These visual disturbances, known as auras, can occur before and during a migraine episode. Factors such as stress, certain foods, and hormonal changes can trigger migraines, which in turn can cause a range of visual symptoms, including yellow spots.

Eye Melanoma and Yellow Spots

Just as melanoma can develop in the skin, it can also affect the pigment in the eye. Eye melanoma can cause yellow flashing spots and other vision changes, such as blurred vision and loss of peripheral sight. Sun overexposure is typically the culprit behind the development of eye melanoma, so it is important to wear sunglasses when spending time outdoors to reduce the risk of this serious condition.

Transient Ischemic Attacks and Yellow Spots

A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke, occurs when blood flow is temporarily blocked. If the blocked blood vessel leads to the eye, it can cause a loss of vision or the appearance of yellow spots. TIAs are a warning sign that you may be at risk for a more severe stroke, so it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately if you experience these symptoms.

Medication Side Effects and Yellow Spots

Certain medications used to treat heart conditions can list seeing spots or random patterns of light as potential side effects. For example, the heart failure medication ivabradine is known to affect vision, potentially causing the appearance of bright spots or colored lights. Another heart failure medication, digoxin, can result in a yellow-green tint in the patient’s vision. If you notice any changes in your vision while taking medication, it is important to inform your doctor, as they may be able to adjust your treatment or provide an alternative option.

Radiation Exposure and Yellow Spots

Exposure to radiation, whether through medical treatments or other sources, can also lead to changes in vision, including the appearance of yellow spots. While rare for most people, radiation therapy for cancer treatment is a common cause of this phenomenon. An estimated 70% of people who undergo radiotherapy for melanoma report seeing lights or colors, a condition known as phosphenes. These visual disturbances typically subside once the radiation treatment has concluded, but in some cases, it can lead to more serious retinal conditions, such as radiation retinopathy.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you notice any changes in your vision, including the presence of yellow spots, it is important to schedule an appointment with an optometrist or ophthalmologist as soon as possible. These vision changes can be indicative of a range of underlying conditions, some of which may require prompt medical attention. By addressing any visual concerns promptly, you can ensure that any underlying issues are properly diagnosed and treated, helping to preserve your overall eye health and visual function.

Why Do I See Yellow Spots in My Vision?

We rely on our vision to see the beauty of nature, read books, drive a car, and connect with others. Therefore, you should not take any changes in your vision lightly. A problem such as having yellow spots in your vision could result from many conditions, such as head injuries, migraines, retinal detachment, medication side effects, or melanoma.

Maintaining regular eye exams and letting your optometrist know if you notice any unusual symptoms, such as seeing spots, is essential. It might not be anything serious, but it’s always better to know for sure.

Yellow Spots After Head Injuries

Head injuries can cause a range of vision problems, including yellow spots. When the head is injured, such as through sports or accidents, it can cause damage to the brain or the optic nerve, affecting your vision.

Head injuries can also cause bleeding in the eye, which can lead to yellow spots. If you have recently experienced a head injury and are experiencing vision changes, seek medical attention immediately.

Yellow Spots Due to Retinal Conditions

The retina is the part of the eye that contains the cells responsible for detecting light and sending visual signals to the brain. Several conditions can affect the retina and cause yellow spots.

Retinal Detachment

When your retina separates from the back of your eye, it can cause your cells to fire randomly. This could result in you seeing flashing lights or colored spots. A detached retina is a serious condition, and you should see a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect you have it.

Other symptoms of a detached retina include:

• Lots of floaters
• Shadows at the edge of your vision
• A “gray curtain” over your vision

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy affects people with diabetes and is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. This damage can result in fluid leaking into the center of the retina, an area called the macula, leading to blurred vision, spots, floaters, and a dark hole in the middle of your vision.

Yellow spots could also indicate a retina infection or damage from staring at the sun.

Yellow Spots from Migraines with Auras

Migraines are a neurological condition that can cause severe headaches, nausea, and sometimes visual disturbances. These disturbances are called auras and can occur before and during a migraine.

Depending on the person, visual disturbances can include yellow spots, as well as zigzag lines, flashing lights, and blind spots. Various factors, such as stress, certain foods, and hormonal changes, can trigger migraines.

Yellow Spots Related to Eye Melanoma

Just like you can develop melanoma in your skin, your eye pigment is also vulnerable. Eye melanoma can cause yellow flashing spots and other vision changes, such as blurred vision and loss of peripheral sight.

Sun overexposure is typically the cause of eye melanoma. Therefore, make sure you wear sunglasses when outside to lower your risk of developing this serious condition.

Yellow Spots After Transient Ischemic Attack

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke that occurs when blood flow is blocked temporarily. TIAs can cause a range of symptoms, such as numbness, weakness, and difficulty speaking.

However, if the blood vessel being blocked leads to your eye, it can cause a loss of vision or yellow spots to appear. TIAs are a warning sign you may be at risk for a more severe stroke. Seek medical attention immediately so your doctor can work with you to promote proper blood flow.

Yellow Spots as a Side Effect of Medications

Certain medications for treating heart conditions list seeing spots or random patterns of light as side effects. For example, ivabradine, a medicine used to treat some adults with heart failure, is known to affect your vision, potentially causing you to see bright spots or bright colored lights.

Another heart failure medication, digoxin, doesn’t necessarily cause yellow spots but can result in vision with a yellow-green tint. If you’re taking any medication and notice a vision change, inform your doctor, as they may be able to adjust your medication or provide you with an alternative treatment.

Yellow Spots Due to Radiation

Radiation exposure can cause various health problems, including changes in your vision. While it’s rare for most people to be exposed to a level of radiation that can cause symptoms such as this, radiation therapy is a standard cancer treatment that requires exposure to high-energy radiation.

An estimated 70% of people who had radiotherapy for melanoma experienced seeing lights or colors, a phenomenon known as phosphenes. These typically go away once the radiation stops, but it’s possible for exposure to lead to retinal conditions such as radiation retinopathy.

When Should I See an Optometrist?

If you notice any changes in your vision, including yellow spots, you should schedule an appointment with an optometrist as soon as possible. Early detection and treatment of eye diseases may help prevent vision loss and improve overall eye health.

Additionally, if you have a family history of eye disease or other risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you should monitor your eye health and have regular eye exams.

Los Angeles EyeCare Optometry Group’s knowledgeable team can evaluate your vision and, if we find something, are dedicated to finding solutions and management options for eye conditions. Don’t ignore the little things when it comes to your vision. If you’re seeing spots, book an appointment today.

What It Could Mean and What to Do

Your eye is a complex structure. Light enters through your pupil and gets focused through the lens before hitting your retina at the back of your eyeball. Special cells in your retina convert light to electrical signals that are sent to your brain via the optic nerve.

Damage to any part of this delicate system can lead to vision problems. Vision problems also tend to become more common with age due to structural changes and an increased risk of developing conditions like diabetes that can damage your eyes.

Seeing yellow spots can have many causes that range from normal to medical emergencies. In this article, we look at some of the potential causes.

There are many reasons why you may be experiencing yellow spots in your vision. Here are some of the potential causes, but for a proper diagnosis, you should visit an eye doctor.

Nonmedical reasons you see yellow spots

Looking at bright lights

Looking at a bright light and then looking away can cause temporary blindness or the temporary appearance of spots or patterns in your vision. Bright light causes special cells in your retina to become saturated with pigment. Your vision should return to normal after a few seconds or minutes when these cells become unsaturated again.

You may notice this phenomenon when you move from a brightly lit area to a dark one or if you’re exposed to a sudden bright light like a camera flash.

Looking directly into the sun or at extremely bright lights like explosions can cause permanent sight loss.

Rubbing your eyes or putting pressure on your eyes

You may experience spots and random bursts of color in your vision after rubbing your eyes or putting direct pressure on your eyeball. These spots and bursts of color are called phosphenes. Phosphenes should go away after several moments and can appear as spots, bars, or random patterns of colorless or colored light.

They’re thought to appear because direct pressure on your eyeball tricks your retinal cells into thinking they’re being exposed to light.

Researchers can also create phosphenes by stimulating the part of your brain that controls vision with an electrical current called transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Drugs, head injuries, and radiation

Exposure to radiation

People exposed to radiation of their head, neck, or eyes commonly report changes in their vision, including seeing lights that aren’t there and colored spots. Radiation therapy used in cancer treatment is one common way people are exposed to radiation.

About 70 percent of people receiving radiotherapy for melanoma of the eye experience seeing light or colors that aren’t there during the procedure. The appearance of these lights or colors can vary but usually goes away once radiation stops.

Other vision side effects that may occur after radiation therapy include:

• blurry vision
• cataracts
• dry eyes
• loss of eyelashes
• glaucoma
• problems with tear ducts
• retinal detachment

Side effects of some medications and chemicals

Some medications can potentially cause spots or random patterns of light to appear in your vision. Seeing spots or random light patterns are one of the most common side effects of the medication ivabradine, used to treat some adults with heart failure.

Seeing spots and light patterns can also be stimulated by alcohol, hallucinogenic drugs, and other drugs.

Another heart failure medication called digoxin is known to cause vision with a yellow-green tint as a potential side effect.

Head injuries

A sudden force to your head can potentially cause random electrical impulses in the part of your brain that controls vision, called your occipital lobe. Your brain may interpret these impulses as spots or patterns.

Head injuries can also lead to structural damage of your cranial nerves, optic nerve tract, or other parts of your vision system.

Other common vision disturbances experienced after a head injury include:

• double vision
• blurry vision
• decreased peripheral vision
• blindness or partial blindness
• glare and light sensitivity

Vigorously sneezing, coughing, or laughing can also cause you to see phosphenes, possibly due to stimulating the cells in your retina with pressure.

Medical conditions

Migraine with aura

Migraine is a condition that causes reoccurring moderate to severe headaches. An aura is when migraine is paired with sensory changes. About 90 percent of people who experience migraine with aura also see spots, stars, or patterns of light. Other visual symptoms can include:

• blind spots
• lines in your field of vision
• seeing flashes of light
• vision loss
• changes to your vision

Retinal detachment and other retinal conditions

Retinal detachment is when your retina becomes partially or fully detached from the back of your eye. It’s a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. When your retina tears or detaches, your retinal cells may fire and lead you to see random spots or patterns of light and color that can potentially include yellow spots.

Other symptoms of a retinal detachment include:

• floaters (debris in your vision) that appear suddenly
• flashes of light
• blurry vision
• vision loss often described as a shadow moving across your vision

Other conditions that cause damage or inflammation of your retina can also potentially cause you to see yellow spots. Some conditions include:

• a rare form of cancer called retinoblastoma
• diabetic retinopathy
• retina infections
• solar retinopathy (damage from looking at the sun)

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

A TIA is a mini-stroke caused by the blockage of a blood vessel. If it occurs in a blood vessel leading to your eye, it can cause loss of vision often described as a curtain falling over one eye.

it can cause you to see yellow spots or other patterns of light that aren’t there.

Symptoms can include:

• temporary blindness
• seeing spots or patterns of light that aren’t there
• double vision
• visual hallucinations
• afterimage

Eye melanoma

Eye melanoma is a type of cancer of the eyeball. Typical symptoms include:

• seeing floaters
• dark spots on your iris
• blurry vision
• a change in the shape of your pupil

A 2020 case study describes a person who developed seeing random spots and patterns in his left eye due to melanoma in and around his iris. In theory, it’s possible that some people may see yellow spots.

Seeing yellow spots on a white background may be due to the afterimage effect. The afterimage effect is when you see an image that’s no longer there.

You may experience this phenomenon when you stare at a colorful object or scene for a long time and quickly look away. In theory, if you stare at something yellow and glance away, you may see yellow spots or patterns. These spots should disappear within moments.

If you want to experience this phenomenon, you can stare at a brightly colored picture for about a minute and quickly shift your vision to a white piece of paper or white wall.

Seeing spots or patterns is also associated with:

• stress
• alcohol consumption
• emotional factors

These spots may be more noticeable when you look at something white.

Yellow spots that disappear soon after staring at a bright light or rubbing your eyes are normal and don’t require treatment. Treatment for other conditions involves targeting the underlying cause. Here are potential treatment options for some of the reasons you may be seeing yellow spots.

* Speak with your before stopping or changing the dosage of any medication you have been prescribed.

It’s a good idea to visit an eye doctor any time you notice changes in your vision. It’s especially critical to see a doctor if you started seeing spots after a sudden head injury or if you have other symptoms of retinal detachment or retinal disease.

There are many reasons why you may be seeing yellow spots. They may part of your eyes’ natural adaption to changing light conditions or they could be a sign of a potentially serious medical condition.

Seeing yellow spots without other symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, but it’s a good idea to visit an eye doctor if you notice a sudden change in your vision.

causes, diagnosis and treatment in the SCCH

Causes of occurrence

The front part of our eye, the sclera, is white when healthy. Its shade can vary from whitish-blue to whitish-pink, but it should be uniform. A noticeable change in the shade of the sclera and the appearance of yellow spots on it indicates the development of pathology. Moreover, it can be both a violation of the eye itself, and a systemic disease of the body.

If yellow spots appear on the white of the eye, we advise you to contact an ophthalmological clinic.

Often, in addition to yellow spots on the eyes The patient also notices other symptoms :

• Itching and pain in the eye area
• Visual impairment
• Hypersensitivity to bright light
• Appearance of discharge from the eyes.

Yellow spots can signal various eye diseases. As a rule, these diseases are not too dangerous and cannot lead to complete loss of vision, but you should definitely not ignore their symptoms. Among the most common causes are the following :

• Conjunctival cyst – a formation with fluid inside, which may have a yellowish tint and appear as a small spot on the white of the eye
• Pterygium is an eye disease in which the conjunctival tissue begins to grow from the nasal corner of the eye to the center of the cornea. The yellow spot on the protein has a triangular shape and sometimes changes color to scarlet or pink
• A pinguecula is a yellow spot that is a sign of aging of the conjunctiva or a lack of vitamin A. Most often, the pinguecula is localized on the inside of the eye near the bridge of the nose, so Patients do not immediately notice it
• Nevus – a kind of “mole” on the protein, which signals serious pathologies of the eye
• Horner-Trantas spots are spots that result from an allergic reaction. They look like grains and are localized mainly around the cornea. The reason for the appearance of this type of spots is keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) or allergic conjunctivitis (reaction from the allergic conjunctiva).

Diseases associated with the appearance of yellow spots on the white of the eye

If the cause of the spots is a general disease of the body, then nausea, chills, increased fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. can be added to the listed symptoms.

Yellow spots may be evidence of the following disorders organism a:

• Jaundice – occurs when there is a violation of the metabolism of bilirubin (bile pigment, one of the most important components of bile)
• Hepatitis (viral disease caused by a pathogen with pronounced hepatotropic properties
• Cirrhosis of the liver (a pathological condition of the liver, which is a consequence of impaired blood circulation in the system of hepatic vessels and dysfunction of the bile ducts)
• Anemia or anemia (a pathological condition characterized by a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin and, in the vast majority of cases, the number of erythrocytes per unit volume of blood
• Liver cancer
• Gallbladder stones, formed in the body under the influence of a number of adverse factors, can acquire a different shape, structure, size.

Diagnosis and treatment of yellow spots on the white of the eye

It is possible to eliminate yellow spots on the white of the eye only after identifying the root cause of their appearance and prescribing the correct treatment in time. In each case, it will be individual.

For example, pinguecula and pterygium in the initial stages are treated with drops and gels that moisturize the conjunctiva, or with anti-inflammatory drugs. Surgical intervention is resorted to only in cases where long-term therapy has not helped. Drug therapy is also used to treat Horner-Trantas spots.

But advanced cases of conjunctival cysts are treated only surgically. Modern technologies make it possible to do this with a laser painlessly for the Patient.

The doctors of the Eye Clinic of Dr. Belikova will conduct a comprehensive examination of the organs of vision and, if necessary, select the most effective treatment or give recommendations for visiting a specialized specialist.

Yellow spots before the eyes, causes, symptoms, treatment.

Article updated – 12/23/2016

The appearance of yellow spots before the eyes means that you see objects that may look like specks or circles. Sometimes they swim. The color of the spots can be from flashing bright flashes to barely noticeable spots. Of great importance is the nature of the appearance of spots before the eyes: they appear from time to time or you see them all the time.

Most often, spots before the eyes appear as a single symptom. However, they can also be combined with other symptoms:

• flashes of light
• headache
• dizziness
• pain in the eye

Attention should be paid to symptoms that may indicate the presence of serious diseases of the eye:

• the appearance of blind spots (or loss of visual fields) along with spots yellow in front of the eye.
• blurred vision or double vision
• sudden increase in spots, flashing pattern of spots.

Causes of yellow spots before the eyes

• Migraine.
  The appearance of yellow spots before the eyes, combined with a severe headache and nausea, indicates the presence of a migraine. A characteristic feature in this case is the complete absence of this symptom in the period between attacks.

• Vitreous destruction.
  If the spots float before your eyes, then this is not an invention of your imagination. There are diseases of the vitreous body that can give a similar symptom. In this case, spots can have different shapes and sizes, change intensity depending on the illumination.

• Posterior vitreous detachment.
  In the case when bright flashes appear before the eyes along with floating spots, it indicates the presence of a posterior vitreous detachment. A very serious symptom. Requires attention, and visits to a specialist doctor.

• Macular edema.
  A condition in which fluid accumulates in the central part of the retina (macula) is called macular edema. The retinal tissue swells and thickens. Edema distorts central vision and a yellow spot appears in front of the eye. In addition, the ability to see at close range is lost. The causes are usually common diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, taking certain medications.

• Macular hemorrhages.
  Violation of the integrity of the vessels inside the eye leads to the appearance of hemorrhages on the retina. When a hemorrhage develops in the macula, a person sees a spot in front of the eye that is yellow, brown or black. Cause of hemorrhage: head or eye injury, hypertension, diabetes mellitus. Requires urgent treatment.

• Macular degeneration.
  Another name is age-related macular degeneration. Typically, patients over 60 years of age are affected. There is a loss of central vision due to damage to the retina in the central section. The onset of the disease is accompanied by the appearance of small spots in front of the eye and a slight decrease in vision. The disease is steadily progressing.

• Retinal burn.
  Exposure to intense sunlight causes damage (burn) to the retina at any age.